Families are being warned to be on their guard against scammers who are pretending to be from Amazon to trick people out of cash.
Householders across the region including places like South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Gateshead and Newcastle , have reported receiving these calls.
Authorities are now warning residents not to give out any personal details and just hang up the phone.
During these calls, a person claims that your Amazon Prime subscription is about to expire and will be automatically taken from your account.
Sometimes a recorded message asks you to press one to cancel or to speak to an advisor. The call then goes through to an individual who “requires” your personal details.
Another scam call claims that your Amazon Prime account is being cancelled and that bank details are required to refund this.
South Tyneside Council has put out a warning on its social media channels about this scam.
A spokesperson said: "We have been advised that a number of South Tyneside residents have received scam calls claiming to be from Amazon.
"If you receive such a call, hang up immediately. Do not provide any personal information, banking details or credit/debit card information, and do not allow them to have remote access to your PC."
The authority is also urging people to share this warning with older residents.
